The Bio-Fuels Debate ... A statement by Drayson-Barwell

‘2nd Generation’ bio-fuels offer significant environmental gains
- Cellulosic production process eliminates the ‘Food vs Fuel’ issue

There has been much discussion, and negative comment, in the media recently regarding bio-fuels and their impact on the environment. We at Drayson-Barwell are pioneering many different ‘Green technologies’ in motorsport, including the use of bio-ethanol fuel in our racing cars, and thus we feel it is vital to make a statement regarding this extremely important topic of discussion and make clear some of the issues and facts surrounding the different ‘Generations’ of bio-fuels and their production techniques.

The question that everyone seems to be focusing on is whether bio-fuels in general are a good thing or a bad thing for our planet…? The issue, however, just isn’t that simple…

The birth of bio-fuels came about as the world tried to find a solution to the problem of its natural fuel resources running out. Renewable fuel sources became the ultimate goal and hence the ‘1st Generation’ of bio-fuels was introduced using food crops as the biomass source that was grown and turned into fuel(1). The negative side-effects of this ‘1st Generation’ bio-fuel production are now entering the public consciousness, however, as the ‘Food vs Fuel production’ argument is hotly debated. Similarly, the mismanagement of bio-fuel production in certain countries, resulting in the destruction of rain forests, has led to an increasingly negative view of bio-fuels as a whole.

These problems, however, are associated with the ‘1st Generation’, and it is very important to distinguish between this and the ‘2nd Generation’ of bio-fuels, i.e. Bio-fuels not derived from food-crops(2) – something that has not been done clearly enough in the current media debate. For a while now the bio-fuels industry itself has clearly understood the problems surrounding ‘1st Generation’ fuels. Consequently, the industry has been striving towards the introduction of more sustainable fuel sources as the foundation of bio-fuels; thus providing an environmentally acceptable and viable alternative to the world’s fuel supply problems. Hence we are now well into the age of ‘2nd Generation’ bio-fuel production, and the industry is already researching the technology to move onto the ‘3rd and 4th Generation fuels of the future(3).

The Drayson-Barwell Aston Martin Vantage GT2 racing car that competes in the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) runs on the latest ‘2nd Generation’ Cellulosic E85 Bio-Ethanol fuel(4). The source for this fuel is WASTE wood from the forests which is put through a cutting edge processing plant and broken down to produce ethanol fuel and other co-products5. The term ‘cellulosic’ refers to the source material from which the ethanol is derived, i.e. cellulose. Cellulose is the major structural component of the cell walls of ‘green’ plants and constitutes 50% of wood(6).

With this process, there is no need for any grain crop fields to be grown specially to produce the fuel source, therefore eliminating the ‘Food vs Fuel’ problem. There is also no need for any destruction of forests to create land for crop growing, since the fuel source is the waste wood (debris, brush, dead trees) from forests and not the trees themselves. By using waste wood to create this clean-burning renewable fuel, it has the lowest carbon footprint of any comparable energy source(7). Further benefits from the process include a resulting co-product called Lignin, which is then burnt to power the production facility(5).

So, in terms of its environmental impact, this particular ‘2nd Generation’ bio-fuels production is totally different from the ‘1st Generation’.

The bio-fuels industry is also implementing other ‘2nd Generation’ technologies that solve the environmental problems of ‘1st Generation’ bio-fuel, such as the widespread use of a non-food plant called Jatropha as a fuel source which is easily cultivated in many Equatorial countries(8). This is converted into bio-diesel and has the positive aspects of being both environmentally friendly and also creating employment and income in many struggling ‘3rd World’ regions. The use of everyday household waste as a fuel source is also being extensively researched as a viable ‘2nd Generation’ technology. Cardboard and paper waste have undergone successful preliminary trials – this clearly opens up great recycling opportunities for the future(9).

In short ‘2nd Generation’ bio-fuel is ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY and has the added benefit in motorsport of being able enhance the performance of the engines in our racing cars.

So, we can be both GREEN and COOL at the same time..! (not to mention FAST as well…!)

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We would welcome your comments and feedback on the current Bio-fuels debate, which you can send to : feedback@drayson-barwell.com

References:

(1) http://biofuel.org.uk/first-generation-biofuels.html retrieved May 27th, 2008.

(2) WorldChanging Team (2008): ‘Second-generation biofuels’: http://www.worldchanging.com/archives/007839.html retrieved May 23rd, 2008.

(3) Renewable Energy World Online (2007): ‘The next generation of biofuels’: http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/story?id=49099 retrieved May 27th, 2008.

(4) Ethanol Promotion and Information Council (2008): ‘A series of firsts in racing and renewable energy’: http://www.klprocess.com/Press%20Releases/EPIC_012908.html retrieved May 22nd, 2008.

(5) Feinman, M (ed) (2008): ‘Waste wood ethanol: Commercial cellulosic demo plant begins production’: Biofuels Journal: http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/grainjournal/biofuelsjournal_20080102/index.php?startid=78 retrieved May 23rd, 2008.

(6) Encyclopaedia Britannica Online (2008): ‘Cellulose’: www.britannica.com/ebc/article-9360137 retrieved May 21st, 2008.

(7) US Environmental Protection Agency: Office of Transportation and Air Quality (2007): ‘Greenhouse gas impacts of expanded renewable and alternative fuel use’: http://klprocess.com/Facts_Legends/EPAFactSheet1.pdf retrieved May 28th, 2008.

(8) D1 Oils, personal communication (2008): for more information visit http://www.d1plc.com

(9) KL Process Design Group, personal communication (2008): for more information visit http://www.klprocess.com

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